Your hand would reach to me,
but i would hide in the shadows,
broken and filthy,
sins written on my flesh,
i weep as i ask you,
Father why do you try and set me free?

Can't you see i've spat in your face and turned my back on you,
Can't you see that i like the rest of the world do not deserve you?
But you burn the darkness around me,
helping me to see,
Your eternal love and grace,
has always been there for me.

You lift me and heal my wounds,
my sins and my burdens,
by sacrificing your one and only begotten son,
to carry the weight of the world.

to save those who sinned and deserve no second chances,
but Father you and you alone are saving them by the masses!

your love is true and your love is divine.
this world is a vapor and i will leave everything behind,
to wait in line in heaven for you to judge me,

help me now Father as i pray this message to you,
enter my heart and my soul,
forgive me of my sins,
my doubts and my pride,
that put you off to the side.
take the weight from me now so i can walk with you in full repentence.
so when i face you,

You will open your arms wide with acceptance,
because you know that your creations aren't perfect,
but through your Son,
You show us to seek you out.

Life eternal and love everlasting,
my dreams of good deeds and fasting,
to serve you father i will forever do,
one mistake might come or maybe a few,

But one things for sure Lord,
When my time is over,
I will die giving my best,
in serving You.

PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK OF POETRY

Editor’s Note

The number one question our editors receive is—what do the editors and judges look for when judging the contest? The number one answer we give is creativity. Unlike prose, writing composed in everyday language, poetry is considered a creative art and requires a different type of effort and a certain level of depth. Of the thousands of poems entered in each contest, the ones that catch our judges’ eyes are the ones that remove us, even just slightly, from the scope of everyday life by using language that is interesting, specific, vivid, obscure, compelling, figurative, and so on. Oftentimes, poems are pulled aside for a second look based simply on certain words that intrigued the reader. So first and foremost, be sure your poetry is written using creative language. Take general ideas and make them personal. In his infamous book De/Compositions: 101 Good Poems Gone Wrong, W. D. Snodgrass imparts, “We cannot honestly discuss or represent our lives, any more than our poems, without using ideational language.”